July16, 2014

WASHINGTON, DC—Representative Eliot L. Engel, the leading Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today delivered the following remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives marking three months since nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram:

“Mr. Speaker, three months have passed since Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 300 schoolgirls in northeastern Nigeria. Today, as the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I join my colleagues to say that the girls have not been forgotten, and we remain committed to getting them home safely. #BringBackOurGirls. I want to commend particularly our colleague Ms. Frederica Wilson of Florida who has led the charge in this regard, and we are united in not stopping until our girls are brought home.

“This year, Boko Haram has killed more than 2,000 people in nearly 100 attacks. They have kidnapped more women. They have terrorized villages in northeastern Nigeria, and have launched attacks on the capital of Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial center.

“Their leader has demanded that Boko Haram militants be released in exchange for the schoolgirls, and he has called for the murder of Christians. He must be brought to justice.

“My prayers remain with the kidnapped girls and their families, and all Nigerians who live under the shadow of Boko Haram. We must continue to push back against this group and work for the safe return of the kidnapped schoolgirls. Bring back our girls.”